Scissortail, Psenes pellucidus (Lütken, 1880)

ANIMAL SPECIES:Scissortail, Psenes pellucidus (Lütken, 1880)

Alternative Name/s

Bluefin driftfish

Identification

The Scissortail has a compressed (glossary) body with tiny scales and soft flabby musculature. It has a blunt snout and large eyes.

The first dorsal fin is short-based and rounded. The second dorsal fin and anal fin are long-based. The caudal fin is forked.

Adult Scissortail are dark brown to purplish. Juveniles are silvery with broad dark blue to black stripes in the second dorsal and anal fins.

Size range

This species grows to 80cm in length.

Distribution

It occurs in tropical and some temperate waters of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

The Australian distribution of the species is uncertain. It is known to occur off New South Wales and South Australia but is thought to occur more widely including deep tropical waters.

Distribution by collection data

Biomaps map of Scissortail specimens in the Australian Museum collection.

What does this mean?

Classification

Species:: pellucidus
Genus:: Psenes
Class:: Actinopterygii
Subphylum:: Vertebrata
Phylum:: Chordata
Kingdom:: Animalia

What does this mean?

McDowall, R.M. in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide. Pp. 992.
Haedrich, R.L. & M.H. Horn. 1972. A Key to the Stromateoid Fishes. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Technical Report. Pp. 46.
Last, P.R 2001. Nomeidae in Carpenter, K.E. & V.H. Niem (Eds). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 6. Bony Fishes part 4 (Labridae to Latimeriidae), estuarine crocodiles, sea turtles, sea snakes and marine mammals. FAO, Rome. Pp. iii-v, 3381-4218.

Last Updated: 1 June 2009

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